Mapping catheters are known from electrophysiological applications in which catheters are used to generate images, with which for example voltages or excitations in tissue are recorded, and these values are used for a later visualization. Examples of electrophysiological processes are for example high-frequency ablation procedures, in which lesions are created with the aid of an ablation catheter for example in the endocard or in the epicard of the heart, to remove pathological excitation centers or conduction centers and thereby to treat arrhythmias.
In addition a reduced perfusion of anatomical areas in the heart, but also in other organs, can give rise to cicatricial tissue which in the area of the heart muscle for example can lead to pathological conduction centers which can trigger arrhythmias of the heart chamber, known as atrial fibrillation.
Catheters are also used in other areas of visualization processes, delivering data from which images can be created, with this being done for example under the direction of a technician or a scientist. As a result the images can be used to make decisions relating to diagnoses or treatment techniques.
An x-ray imaging process is currently undertaken to visualize an ablation catheter for example, but this does not result in a sufficiently good visualization in respect to the anatomy of the heart for example. In addition electroanatomical imaging systems are used to represent data relating to the position or orientation of the catheter together with voltage or excitation images. If necessary overlaying techniques are used to represent the morphology together with the electroanatomical data or the catheter.
The images available to date however only provide restricted information, in which anatomical structures and changes of a pathological nature or changes caused by previous treatments and such like can only be seen inadequately or cannot be seen at all.